The present invention is directed to sources of pressurized air, and more particularly concerns a low-noise air blower for use in or with an air activated water agitator, hydrotherapy system, whirlpool bath, spa, bubble massager and the like and also for use in or as an air filtration system.
Air activated water agitating devices are used in bathtubs, spas, whirlpools and treatment tanks to agitate the fluid in the bathtub or whirlpool to affect a massage or stimulation of that portion of a person's body submerged in the whirlpool or bath. Hydrotherapeutic treatments have been used to treat or provide relief from various back or muscle ailments and as a relaxing benefit to aching bones, joints and muscles.
Air activated bath water bubbling or agitating devices including a source of pressurized air, an elongate flexible hose, and a submersible mat or tubing having a plurality of air jets or openings have been known for many years. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,367,325, 3,683,899, and 4,245,625 disclose such systems utilizing a conventional household vacuum cleaner as the source of pressurized air for the water agitating device. The use of a conventional vacuum cleaner as a source of pressurized air is less than desirable because vacuum cleaners are not designed for use as the source of pressurized air for a hydrotherapy system, water massager, whirlpool bath, spa or the like. Consequently, vacuum cleaners do not necessarily provide the correct flow or volume of pressurized air, tend to be very noisy and as such are irritating when placed adjacent a whirlpool, bathtub or spa, do not provide sufficiently warm or heated air to prevent the water in the whirlpool, bathtub, spa or the like from being cooled by aeration thereof, and the air exiting the vacuum cleaner may have a disagreeable odor or be dirty due to dirt collected in the vacuum cleaner bag or canister. More importantly, most conventional household vacuum cleaners are not designed for use with water and as such do not have the necessary safety features to protect a user from electrocution or to protect the vacuum cleaner itself from damage due to the inadvertent flow of water into the vacuum cleaner.
It is suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,625 to use an electric space heater to heat the air adjacent a vacuum cleaner to thereby provide a source of heated pressurized air for use in a bathtub water agitating apparatus. This arrangement is undesirable in that it requires the use of two potentially dangerous electrical devices in a bathroom adjacent a bathtub full of water.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,417,747, 3,750,656, 3,809,073, 4,040,415, add 4,962,759 disclose air activated hydrotherapy or bubble massage apparatus including a blower having an electric motor and a centrifugal fan as a source of pressurized air. Also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,417,747 and 4,962,759 disclose the use of electrical heating elements in addition to or in conjunction with the blower.
Attempts have been made to improve air blowers for use with air activated hydrotherapy or whirlpool apparatus to increase user safety by preventing electrical stock caused by the flow of water back into the blower and to prevent damage to the blower itself due to the presence of water. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,962,759 and 5,067,481 describe blowers which allow for the drainage of water therefrom.
Hence, there exists a need for an improved air blower which not only provides an adequate supply of pressurized warm air but does so in a safe and effective manner with low-noise, sufficient heating of the air and which prevents water from entering the blower. There is also a need for such an improved air blower which is eloquently simple in design and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Further, there is a need for such an improved air blower which serves not only as a source of pressurized air, but also as an air filtration system.